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Statement from TrueNorth on Library Site Decision
TrueNorth Companies, Inc. Board of Directors provided a statement regarding the City Council's decision on the location of the new Public Library. TrueNorth Companies has a long history as a downtown business, and
supporter of the community's efforts to revitalize the downtown area. TrueNorth Companies, Inc. has also shown support for downtown through sponsoring and supporting the events and programming efforts of the Cedar Rapids Downtown District. This statement communicates how City Council's decision impacts their business. The company is in the hoping to relocate to a nearby area to maintain their downtown presence. The official statement is below:
"As you know, the City Council has voted to locate the Cedar Rapids Library at our current location. Although our first choice was to stay at our current location, we support the efforts of the City, the Council, and the Library Board to reshape the future of the City of Cedar Rapids.
"As a part of the downtown Cedar Rapids business community, we have tried to consider the implications beyond our own business and focus on the future of our community. We clearly understand the reasons for placing the library here: the “expansion” of Greene Square Park, the proximity to trails, the contrast of old and new libraries facing across the park, the clear consistency with the City’s downtown development plans, and the synergies with the art museum and park are quite attractive.
"We have had constructive meetings with representatives from the City and the Cedar Rapids Library Board to develop a plan to move forward with our relocation. The terms that we set forth requested a reimbursement for the replacement of our facility with the same location and building characteristics that we currently have. Our relocation estimate is only for the hard cost of our move which includes the cost to construct a similar building and acquire a lot. We are not requesting reimbursement for the soft costs of relocation, which in our estimate could be in excess of $2 million.
On behalf of the 120 people at TrueNorth who strive everyday to make our company and this community a better place, we embrace this opportunity to participate in the rebuilding efforts of the City of Cedar Rapids."